


nothing is dearer than a daughter

by oh-how-charming (twofourteen)



Series: the best thing in the world (except for cough drops) [8]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Alternate Universe - Human, Always Female Stiles Stilinski, Angst, F/M, Female Stiles Stilinski, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Sheriff Stilinksi Is A Badass, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-02
Updated: 2020-06-02
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:15:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24502228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twofourteen/pseuds/oh-how-charming
Summary: “Stiles.” She glowered up at him, tears still waiting to fall, “Baby. Listen to me. We are over this first huddle, right? He made it through surgery. He’s stable. Let’s just focus on that now? Whatever else happens, we will handle it.”
Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Series: the best thing in the world (except for cough drops) [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1738996
Comments: 4
Kudos: 122





	1. one

**Author's Note:**

> Violence against a police officer, no death. 
> 
> No beta, no plot, it's all just scenes that live inside my head.
> 
> Title from - “To a father growing old nothing is dearer than a daughter.” –Euripides

“ _ Stiles _ . You need to call me. You need to answer your phone.” Derek choked on his words, “Baby, you need to answer.”

Derek ended the call, and immediately dialed the number again as he drove through the pre-rush hour traffic, sirens and lights on, trying to get to her. She wasn’t at home, she wasn’t at work, and he needed. to. find.  _ her _ . The call clicked over to voicemail again, and Derek ended the call, and redialing again as he drove past common Stiles Stomping Grounds to see if he could find her car. Just as the voicemail was going to click over again, she picked up.

“Hey stud muffin!”

“Baby, where  _ are you _ ?”

“I had to do a Target run, the shelter was out of dia - Derek, what’s  _ wrong _ ?”

“You need to get to the hospital,  _ now _ . Your dad -”

Her breath hitched, “No.  _ No _ .”

“We need to get you there. Do I need to come get you?”

“Is he - Derek.”

“It’s bad baby, but he’s still  _ here _ okay, he’s going to surgery, but you need to get there.”

“I -  _ Derek _ .” He could hear her start to cry.

“Baby, just - don’t drive okay? I will be there in  _ two minutes _ .” He heard the hitch in her breath as she started to struggle, “Stiles.  _ Stiles _ . Listen to me? You need to breathe, baby. Okay?”

“I... my  _ dad _ . No.”

“Baby, breathe for me okay?” Derek’s voice was already thick with tears, “I am almost there okay?”

Derek could hear her trying to take deep breaths, struggling to hold them for very long before she sobbed again. When he finally got to her, he held her close for a moment before he grabbed the purse and keys clenched in her fingers, double checking her car was locked (he’d get it later) and guiding her into the passenger seat. His left hand was on the wheel and his right hand was a constant presence, clenched in between her hands, a firm pressure on the back of her neck, swiping her hair back as it would get stuck in the tackiness of her tears. 

They got to the hospital just as they got John stable enough to go to surgery. Stiles got to kiss his forehead, clench his limp hand and tell him she loved him more than there were stars in the sky before he was wheeled away. Derek held her close as she cried, mumbling reassurances against her temple. 

In the time that followed, Stiles asked questions - she wanted to know what happened, who did it, if anyone else was hurt. Derek and the other officers that filtered in and out gave as much information as they could. It had been a wellness check after someone thought they heard a fight, and it spiraled. The shooter was in jail. No one else was hurt. Derek sat with her huddled closed on a highly uncomfortable couch, in the corner of the waiting room. She fell asleep against him, a couple hours into the surgery, his hand running up and down her back.

He exhaled a breath, rearranging their bodies to try and find a more comfortable angle on the couch. He took out his phone, opening the group text for his family. John had essentially adopted all of the nieces and nephews as his own grandkids, having each of their birthdays written on the calendar he had hanging on his fridge, making sure to send them a card every year. He had a slew of missed calls and texts, some from his family already seeing what happened on the news and checking in.

**Dede** : John’s in the hospital, surgery now. Shot twice.  
**Dede** : Will update you when we know more. Stiles is with me.  
**Jay** : We’ve got you brother, anything you need?  
**Esme** : Hug Stiles for me. Love you both.  
**Eddie** : Don’t worry about Miko, he can spend the week with us.  
**Laura** : Shit. 

He kissed Stiles’ temple, leaned his head back and closed his eyes against the obnoxiously bright lights. He sat there for a bit before the surgeon came out, getting Derek’s attention with a small knock against the door frame. “Mr. Hale?” 

Derek nudged Stiles, “Stiles, the doctor’s here. Wake up baby.” She shot up, eyes wide. 

“What’s going on? Did something hap - is he okay?” Derek pulled her close again, as the doctor settled in the chair next to them.

Derek whispered against her ear, “He’s here to tell us, okay?” She grabbed both his hands in hers, holding tight.

The surgeon, in a calm and unwavering voice, explained everything. Surgery was tough, but successful. Critical, but stable. Headed to recovery and then to intensive care. Very close monitoring for several days. Expects a full recovery. Will check in with them once he is settled in his room.

After the doctor shook each of their hands and offered condolences, Stiles turned, pushing her face into Derek’s chest. She took a deep breath in and exhaled, “Derek. This is so shitty. What… he has to make it.”

“You heard the doctor - she expects a full recovery.”

“Something could  _ happen _ . A blood clot. Someone could sneeze on him. Something.”

“Baby, don’t go to worst poss -”

“My  _ dad _ got  _ shot _ and is near  _ death _ . I feel like that’s pretty bad.”

“Stiles.” She glowered up at him, tears still waiting to fall, “Baby. Listen to me. We are over this first huddle, right? He made it through surgery. He’s stable. Let’s just focus on that now? Whatever else happens, we will handle it.”

She curled herself small, as Derek extended one of his legs on the couch and left the other bent to the ground. She let her feet stretch against his and kept her upper body curled against his. She took several more large breaths. “Whatever else…”

He rubbed her back as well as he could in the position, shooting off another update to his family.

**Dede** : He’s out of surgery, stable but critical. All went well, just long recovery.  
**Ingrid** : Love you all. Give John some kisses from A&Z   
**Chacha** : Dede - Eddie’s got Miko already, so don’t worry.   
**Chacha** : I’m bringing you both some clothes and stuff, any requests?  
**Cora** : Chacha - jus brg all of D’s hoodies, Stiles Comfort 101.   
**Jay** : Ellie & Jarron have already got soccer moms making you two some frozen meals and stuff.  
**Eddie** : <picture of all five of his kids loving on Miko> He’s doing great.  
**Momma Hale** : Oh my sweet boy. Whatever you 2 need, dad and I are here for you. Stay safe my loves.  
**Laura** : Yaya is the best yaya. <3 Love you guys. Sorry I’m not closer to help - but call me if you need the wiseness of your older sis.  
**Dede** : This is Stiles, stealing Dede’s phone. I love you all so much. Thanks for loving me and my daddio too. Chacha, can you bring me the tan blanket - should be in the basement? THANK YOU ALL FOR EVERYTHING. <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

Stiles had steadfastly refused to leave John’s side once he was settled in his room. She read to him from the paper (the sports section, because it was favorite and arts & leisure because everyone needs some culture), his favorite book, the menu from the hospital cafeteria… anything to not keep the room silent. Holding steady in her chair which was tucked as close to the bed as possible without disrupting cords and plugs, she read the classifieds. A nurse had just come in to check stats and administer some pain management meds, she had smiled sweetly at Stiles as she read over some beat up F-250 cab only for sale a few towns oer.

Derek sat up for the chair he had been lounging, looking at Stiles. She was, indeed, wearing one of his old hoodies and some leggings - she had managed to find a shower for both of them, and Derek didn’t want to know the favors pulled for that. Her hair was pulled away from her face, in a messy bun. He walked up behind her, tapping his fingers against her shoulder, pressing down a little.

“Baby, come on.”

“No! I’m not lea - .” 

He moved the legs of the chair so it rotated her entire body, “Baby, I am not making you leave here, just leave  _ here _ .” He made a motion to encompass the room, “Let me take you for a walk, okay? Just outside. Ten minutes. We both need some fresh air.” Stiles reached out one of her hands and Derek pulled her up. “A’tta girl.”

She gave him a small smile and quickly pulled him into a hug, “This sucks. This sucks so much.” She kissed the side of his jaw, “I can’t imagine how much it would suck without you next to me.” She closed her eyes and he wrapped both his arms around her as well, them just holding each other.

“There’s nowhere else I’d want to be than right next to you.”

“Ugh. Mortal danger makes us  _ saps _ .” Stiles sniffled a little, slapping Derek’s ass with an eyebrow wiggle amd quickly squeezed her dad’s hand, “Daddy? Derek and I are gonna get some fresh air. Maybe make out in a broom closet.” She laughed around some stray tears, wiggling her eyebrows. Derek just huffed and pulled her out of the room. She stopped, turning back and blew a kiss. “Love you daddio.”

They both made their way slowly down the two flights of stairs and out into the fresh air, taking several minutes to just breathe air that didn’t smell like  _ hospital _ . They made their way slowly around the hospital, hands held in a loose embrace. 

Stiles took a deep breath, “If I get a sunburn from this walk, will you rub aloe vera on my wounds?” She grinned at him, knocking their shoulders together.

“If you get sunburn on our nearly sunset walk around the hospital, yes, I will.”

“You’re just so good to me.” She pulled his entire arm to her, wrapping both arms around it and leaning against it as they walked further. “I’d like you to rub me down with aloe vera even if I didn’t get sunburn. That’s good for the skin, you know.” She grinned against the arm she was wrapped around as Derek just groaned.

As they neared the end of the perimeter walk around the hospital buildings, Stiles hummed, “Babe?”

“Hmm?”

She breathed deep, “I miss our bed.”

“I miss our bed too, baby. We can go back whenever you’re ready.”

“I mean, they’ve pretty much taken him off critical - he’s  _ stable _ .” She swallowed back some tears at that, “And he’s … good.”

“He is... He’s healing. He’s got lots of people looking out for him.”

“So like, I wouldn’t be a bad daughter for wanting to take a shower in my own shower? And sleeping in my own bed? And maybe macking on my husband in both the shower and the bed? Ya know…  _ Macking _ .”   


“You’re subtle.” She grinned. “And you aren’t a bad daughter for wanting what makes you comfortable. We could go say good night now, and come back around lunch time? Split a jello cup with him? He should be good enough to start planning his discharge plans?”

“Coming back at  _ lunch time _ ? How late are you going to keep me awake?”

“An hour for every day I haven’t gotten to fu-”

“MRS. OLIVER.” Stiles glared at Derek who was hiding a laugh in his hands, “You get to go home? That’s great! Now stay safe and you give us a call the next time those gutters need to get cleaned, sweetie. I am sure Derek would love to clean them. He’s a gutter master.”

She waved as the elderly couple was being guided out the building, gently punching Derek in the gut, “You are  _ mean _ . And making me  _ want the d in the hospital _ . Stop it.”

“I mean, it’s  _ clean _ .”

“ _ SHUT UP. _ ” She was laughing as she made her way up the stairs. Before the hit the floor they needed, Derek pinned her to the side of the door {he was cognisant of fire hazards) and kissed her slow and deep. Ending with three quick kisses in a row, he backed up.

“We really need to get you home.”

“Uh… home. Yeah.”

“Your breath tastes like hospital.”

As he slipped through the door, he kicked him in the back of the thigh, “You jerk!”


	2. two (alternative scene)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Derek, you are forty. YOU’RE OLD.”
> 
> “Not old enough to take you over my pre-arthritic knee.” 
> 
> “Oh my god, don’t say those things.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I wanted to write this, even though it doesn't really fit in with the world that I have in my head - we will call it an alternative scene.

Derek has just returned from John’s. He could get around okay, but there was just some cleaning and basic stuff he needed help with around the house every once and awhile. He has been home from the hospital for six weeks, and was adjusting and healing well. Derek didn’t expect anything less, he was pretty sure Stilinski meant stubborn in some ancient Polish dialect.

“Baby? Where are you?”

“Trying not to metaphorically shit my pants.”

“...well, I hope you’re in the bathroom, or at least not on carpet.”

“ _ Derek _ .”

She sounded like she was coming from their bedroom so he headed in, shoulding the door open and fending off Miko’s attacks with double handed petting.

Stiles was sitting on the bed, one of his BHPD hoodies pulled up over her head and what looked like a pair of Derek’s pants too. He flopped down on the bed laying his head in her lap, “What’s wrong?”

Stiles’ face could barely be seen with how tight she had the hoodie pulled. Her voice was a bit muffled. “Something.”

He tugged on the strings of the hoodie a bit, “Could you be more vague.”

“Something science-y.”

“I - that doesn’t do me any good either. Science is everywhere.”

Half a smile/scowl combo was seen through the gap in the hoodie, “Don’t be hot and nerdy, we are going through a crisis.”

“Are these separate crises? Like, one for each of us?”

“Yours is a crisis of time. Mine is a crisis of well, everything else.”

“Baby, what is going  _ on _ ?” Derek wasn’t nervous - Stiles was relaxed, just wasn’t sure how to word things.

“ _ Things _ are happening.”

“Things are always happening, that’s the nature of the universe.”

Stiles flailed around, digging in her bedside table, pulling out two things that she quickly hid in the sleeves of the hoodie.

“I am going to show you these things. And you are going to freak out. And then you have to promise not to leave me because you’re old.”

“ _ Hey _ .”

“Derek, you are  _ forty _ . YOU’RE  _ OLD _ .”

“Not old enough to take you over my pre-arthritic knee.” 

“Oh my god, don’t  _ say those things _ .”

Derek let his hands loosen the hoodie around her head, pulling it back down so he could see her whole face. She had a smile on her face, but looked scared and nervous. It was a weird combo for her face to be stuck in.

“Baby, just tell me - I am getting half scared you literally did shit somewhere and I have to clean it up.”

“...you are a horrible person, and you - “ she set the two items she had been hiding in her sleeve on his chest, “ - are going to be a very old dad.”

Derek stared blankly at the sonogram and the pregnancy test (thankfully in a ziploc bag) laid out on his chest. “...I’m sorry, what?” He quickly pulled himself up into a sitting position. “This is real?”

“...why would I fake this? I am not an asshole.”

“No, I … but you have the thing that prevents the stuff from… doing stuff.”

“Well, there’s apparently a .7% fail rate, and I’ve never failed at anything, so why not fail at birth control after like 20 years of having sex.”

Derek didn’t respond.

“Derek?”

“...you had sex when you were 14? How come I don’t know about  _ that _ ?”

“I was estimating you monster.”

Derek just grinned, and as he was facing Stiles he set down the small little sonogram on their touching knees.

“So…”

“So…”

“This is gonna change a few things.”

“Could you… give more than just a half sarcastic comment? I am freaking  _ out _ a little and am a little scared because for most of my life I didn’t think I’d want this, but it’s here and it feels  _ right _ and I don’t know what we are going to do.”

Derek grabbed her chin in his hands, planting several small kisses against her lips.

“This… I have never been so excited about the possibilities of being an old dad in my life.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why is it attached to this chapter? 
> 
> Because I picture the hours of love making that was soft and sweet after John's accident was when it happened.
> 
> (The hard and dirty stuff came before the soft and sweet. Haha.)

**Author's Note:**

> Literally, the world is burning down around us because people are fed up... and I am a bit tasteless and wrote a fic where a cop got shot? That wasn't intentional, I've had the scene rattling around for weeks. No ill intention towers either side or angle to this fight for a better world, I promise.
> 
> Also, surprise second chapter as sort of an ~alternative scene~ -- am writing it now, should be posted before anyone finishes this.


End file.
